Graphics
1. Keep it small, about 10-12KB per image. Yes, depending on the source, the number of broadband users is growing. However, slow pages are still really annoying, even if you have a T1. And giant graphics are a primary reason of long loading times. It's easy to revise your graphics.
2. Always use graphics that work with the context. Only because you made an adorable picture of your dog doesn't mean you should place it on your page about Web Design. The only exception you would make applies to "design" graphics. These are pictures or graphics that help make up the design of your site, and are not meant to illustrate the content.
3. Never insert graphics that blink or move or change or rotate or do anything on your site. Or use them sparingly. Multiple researches demonstrate that flashing images are distracting and annoying to users. Actually, in one focus group I watched the users physically cover up animations so that they could read the rest of the page.

Layout
4. Use standard layouts. I've been over some sites that have 6 or 8 frames on a single page. Another page had a layout which made users scroll to the right to read all the content of the page (but they never had to scroll down). These layouts are cute, and you will certainly think they are fun to create, but they will make your users crazy. The reason for the 3-column layout being so common on Web pages and newspapers is because it works. You certainly think it's boring, however, you'll keep more audience if you use something intuitive that they can understand.
5. Treat your images as rightful parts in the layouts. Graphics can be more than just graphics when you apply them as rightful elements in your layouts. An easy example is when you wrap text around a graphic, but any graphic you place on your page is a layout element and should be treated as such.

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